I AND the Scottish Liberal Democrats want to use this election opportunity to make Scotland the best again.

We want to end the cuts to education by adding 1p to the basic tax rate. This will let us develop early education, support initiatives like Support from the Start, introduce a pupil premium for investment in all schools and reverse the cuts in college places.

We want to invest in the NHS with increased support for GPs. On Musselburgh doorsteps, people tell me of their long waits for appointments. I also want to see investment in mental health, particularly to reduce the long waits faced by children and young people seeking specialist care.

I want to ensure investment in hospital services and am concerned by cuts and closures imposed by NHS Lothian on acute and rehabilitation beds at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Astley Ainslie and Liberton. Many local people would support a campaign to save Liberton from closure.

I have been active in calling for a minor injuries clinic and other services at the new East Lothian Hospital and will fight to ensure that the facility is delivered.

I want to ensure access to care at home where people may have long waits for services, often being delayed in hospital. Paid carers need to be paid a fair wage. Unpaid carers need access to respite and support services. I have regularly raised concerns on these areas with the Scottish government.

The new integrated health and social care boards should be monitored for their effectiveness. I have kept an eye on the birth of the East Lothian Board through attendance at consultation events.

We want to tackle bureaucracy, centralisation and target-setting in public services, including the police, to enable staff to do their job. We will seek to protect whistleblowers.

We want to ensure that local authorities have sufficient funding and that they can be responsive to local needs. East Lothian has seen the results of nine years of council tax freeze e.g. many people have complained to me about the poor state of the roads.

We want to meet climate change targets with warmer homes, and an end to opencast mining and fracking. We want to invest in public transport. As a longstanding member of RAGES and RELBUS, I will campaign for bus and train services that meet local needs. I will seek to find solutions to the overcrowded trains faced by Musselburgh commuters.

I want to provide homes, including social housing, while taking account of resident concerns about widespread greenbelt development without infrastructure, including access to health services, transport and education. This has been a repeated concern on Musselburgh doorsteps.

I was a member of East Lothian planning committee and have seen the overriding of local democratic decisions by the Scottish government-appointed reporters. If elected, I will seek to bring forward legislation to strengthen the voice of local people in the planning process.

I want to support civil liberties. I am concerned about the introduction of the Named Person legislation.

I support continued membership of the EU.

Scotland needs strong Liberal Democrat voices at Holyrood and I want to be one of them. As a social worker and former councillor, I have a track record in advocating for people and communities.

If elected, I will listen to the people of Midlothian North and Musselburgh and ensure that I speak up for them on the issues that matter.